Tuesday, December 01, 2015

BAPHIQ: Taiwan Culls 5 Million Birds In 2015

From Taiwan’s BAPHIQ (Bureau of Animal Plant Health Inspection & Quarantine) we get an assessment on the impact of avian flu on that island nation since it flared up in January when three new HPAI H5 viruses appeared – all apparently related to the H5N8 virus which first erupted in South Korea 12 months earlier.

Shortly after arriving - likely carried in by migratory birds - the H5N8 virus reassorted with local avian influenza viruses and produced new versions of H5N2, and an H5N3 reassortant. The old H5N2 remains in circulation, but has now been joined by the `new’ H5N2 strain, H5N8, and a novel H5N3.

To date, these outbreaks have affected nearly 1,000 farms and have resulted in the culling or deaths of 5 million birds. First a link to a syntax challenged translation of the today’s announcement, then a link to a far more readable English language media report.

a) supervise the implementation of autonomy informed the poultry industry, assisted by the animal epidemic prevention authorities seized Mining confirmed cases of immediate disposal of poultry farms epidemic ended yesterday (30) days 18:00 only, namely 15 cities and counties by the poultry industry to take the initiative to inform the field of censorship 1,000 games (November 25 to November 30, no new inspection games), confirmed the H5 subtype of avian influenza field 965 (November 25 to 30 Month Day Added confirmed Pingtung County 1 1 chicken duck farm and field), confirmed negative 34 games and one game H6N1 subtype (other than a reportable disease OIE), namely the completion of 964 field culled (a total of 5,098,096 only).

aipei, Dec. 1 (CNA) More than 5 million head of poultry have been culled this year due to avian influenza outbreaks, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said Tuesday.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, 1,000 poultry farms in 15 counties and cities had been tested, of which 965 were positive for the H5 bird flu virus, 34 were negative, and one was positive for the H6N1 virus, the bureau said.

A total of 5.09 million birds from 964 farms had been culled, it said.

Although the United States culled 10 times as many birds during our avian flu outbreak, Taiwan’s population is only about 1/14th that of the United States.

The detection of one outbreak of H6N1 is not unexpected given that it has been endemic in Taiwan for decades (see Taiwan: Debating The Importance Of H6N1 In Dogs). Not being a reportable subtype, however, and having low pathogenicity in poultry, we don’t often hear about it.

H6N1 made headlines in 2013 when was detected in a 20-year-old female who presented at local hospital with mild pneumonia on May 8th, was hospitalized and treated with oseltamivir, and who was released 3 days later. None of 36 close contacts followed up on were found to be infected with the H6N1 virus.

Although Taiwan has not enjoyed quite the respite in avian flu outbreaks that Europe and North America have for the past few months, they are bracing themselves for another winter surge in the coming months.